Road to Jannah

A Travelogue of Life

 

About me

I was ready to tell
the story of my life
but the ripple of tears
and the agony of my heart
wouldn’t let me

i began to stutter
saying a word here and there
and all along i felt
as tender as a crystal
ready to be shattered
in this stormy sea
we call life

all the big ships
come apart
board by board
how can i survive
riding a lonely
little boat
with no oars
and no arms

my boat did finally break
by the waves
and i broke free
as i tied myself
to a single board

though the panic is gone
i am now offended
why should i be so helpless
rising with one wave
and falling with the next
i don’t know
if i am
nonexistence
while i exist
but i know for sure
when i am
i am not
but
when i am not
then i am

now how can i be
a skeptic
about the
resurrection and
coming to life again
since in this world
i have many times
like my own imagination
died and
been born again
that is why
after a long agonizing life
as a hunter
i finally let go and got
hunted down and became free

-Rumi


 

Assalaam alaikum, peace, I’m jannah.

About me:
Have a BA in Comp Sci and Psychology, MA in Educational Technology. Currently single and living in upstate NY.

Occupation: Started this website many moons ago and hope it is beneficial for everyone.

Hobbies & Interests: My interests include Islam, Dawah, the web, reading and Arabic. I love traveling and have traveled quite a bit to different places. Check out some threads in the Silk Road forum.

Philosophy on life: I hope to live as a Muslim and die as a Muslim and somewhere a long the way have a life that is full of khair. I believe it is a beautiful way of life and that a person has to choose it as their path.

Favorite food:
My favorite foods: lindt chocolate, tandoori chicken, grape leaves, strawberries and Cheesecake Factory’s chocolate sundae cheesecake. (not all together!)

Favorite book: Road to Makkah and Pride and Prejudice

Favorite music: Nasheeds by Sami Yusuf, Zain Bhikha, Dawud Wharnsby, Native Deen, Raihan, etc and Quran by Shaatri

Favorite film: Pride & Prejudice of course, and I lovvvve the Cat Stevens VH1 special

Favorite Quran verse:
‘Wa uzlifatil jannatu lil muttaqeena ghayra ba’eed’ — ‘And the Garden will be brought near to the Righteous - no more a thing distant’

Favorite quotes:

I saw grief drinking a cup of sorrow and called out,
“It tastes sweet, does it not?” “You’ve caught me,” grief answered,
“and you’ve ruined my business, how can I sell sorrow
when you know it’s a blessing?”
– Rumi

The body a tree.
God a wind.
When He moves me like this,
Like this,
Angels bump heads with eath other
Gathering beneath my cheeks,
Holding their wine
Barrels
Catching the brilliant tear,
Pearl
Rain.
– Hafiz

A charm invests a face
Imperfectly beheld.
The lady dare not lift her veil
For fear it be dispelled.
But peers beyond her mesh,
And wishes, and denies,
‘Lest interview annul a want
That image satisfies.
–Emily Dickinson

Let not the sorry plight of the garden upset the gardener;
Soon buds will sprout on the branches and like stars glitter.
Weeds and brambles will be swept out of the garden with a broom;
And where martyrs blood was shed red roses shall bloom.
Look, how russet hues have tinged the eastern skies!
The horizon heralds the birth of a new sun about to rise.
– Iqbal, Jawab-e-Shikwa (The Answer to the Complaint)

…When the leaves begin 2 fall
I hold my hopes up high
As the sparrows look 2 fly
I dream alone at night
If I take the simple path
I will never fall again
When the colors start to fade
I can see the loving greys…
–Irfan Makki

I see them walking and riding and assembling—all those myriads of white-garbed pilgrims of thirteen hundred years; I hear the sounds of their passed-away days; the wings of the faith which has drawn them together to this land of rocks and sand and seeming deadness beat again with the warmth of life over the arc of centuries, and the mighty wingbeat draws me into its orbit and draws my own passed-away days into the present, and once again I am riding over the plain—riding in a thundering gallop over the plain, amidst thousands and thousands of ihram-clad beduins, returning from Arafat to Mecca. ~Muhammad Asad

Sometimes in order to help He makes us cry.
Happy the eye that sheds tears for His sake.
Fortunate the heart that burns for His sake.
Laughter always follows tears.
Blessed are those who understand.
Life blossoms wherever water flows.
Where tears are shed divine mercy is shown.
–Rumi

O Allah, I ask of You those things which will procure Your mercy, and I ask for Your immense forgiveness, and I ask for complete safety from [committing] sins, and a full share of virtuous deeds, and salvation by attaining Paradise and deliverance from Hell.

View from Ibn Maan castle in Palmyra

…………meow………..

email: jannahorg @ yahoo.com

Filed under : Uncategorized
By jannah
On December 2, 2006
At 6:55 am
Comments :
 

15 Comments for this post

 
Danish Says:

assalmualaikum wr wb
I found this website in some searchengine at first time i’m really wonder about this website [because of this website’s name….. jannah=> heavens]
so after i read for almost all of blogs …….. everythings is excellent i hope that INSHAALLH
this website’name “jannah” may help people to convert to ISLAM

assalmualaikum wr wb
nice to know you

Danish,
romance_de_amor@hotmail.com
Kasetsart university,Bangkok ,Thailand

 
 
jannah Says:

walaikum salam wrt wbt danish,

i doubt people would convert upon reading the blogs no matter how scintillating reads they are ;) but hopefully they learn something about ordinary muslims living in the US and maybe something about syria, hajj, islam, the arab world or something. thanx for writing a comment!

 
 
danish Says:

i couldnt believe that you will answer me immediately
actually i’ve some friend in my country ….he’d learn every about islam in website and he never met any muslim but after 2 years he converted to islam
alhamdulilah

 
 
Momin Store Says:

Nice website…. some lady in your guestbook was actually asking about how to convert.. or wat it requires to convert to Islam .. maybe u should look into it if u havent already..

 
 
Sarwar Abdulrahman Says:

As-salamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu,

Subhanallah, The blog and your other website are just very excellent. May Allah extend your knowledge so that you come up with even better ideas and websites.

I actually need somehelp and I will insha-allah get a reply from you. I have emailed you but does not work.

You can reply to my email if you want.

May Allah protect you and your family. AMEEN

Was-salam.

 
 
the old retired prof Says:

God Bless!

Much of your thoughts are shared by many!!

 
 
Abdullah Al Mamun Says:

Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullah.
All thanks to Almighty Allah and than for you to create so nice website. I really impressed to find such site in my life. day before yesterday, i was searching one article about Social responsibilities of Muslim ummah in this world. I was searching trhough google and finally find you site. First attractiond i have had is its nicename and what is our ultimate target. Since my childhood, i used to learn about me and very deeply tring to find our why my existence have been done in this earth…and so on. ultimately Allah gave me opportunity to complete my Honors in Al Azhar University with scholarship and now His excellency is gracing me by giving more opportunity to complete my master at International Islamic University Malaysia. I am very impresed to your site fo 2 reasons: 1- I got here many articles that is very valuable for us and 2- your ambition that you are dreaming is same of my ambition. I really proud for you that you choosed one great Quranic verse ” Wa ujlifatil Jannatu lil Muttaqina Gaira Ba’iid”. This is our ultimate target. Many thanks to you. May Allah accept all Muslaim and Muslimah as you and as give them Hidayah in order to proceed hapily to Paradise. Amin. Jajaka Allahu khairal jaja fi darain.
Abdullah Al Mamun, Malaysia Mobile: +60192587004

 
 
Nadia Says:

It’s refreshing to read your blog about your views on Islam. Perhaps you can help open the eyes of many prejudiced people out there who refuse to believe that Islam is a peaceful religion.

Kudos! =D

 
 
danz Says:

salam…

i used to scoff at some of others(muslimah’s blogs)….but by some stroke of luck i found Medina al-Muslimeen… it really changes the way i think & act… IT”S WONDERFUL.. KEEP IT UP!

I have one suggestion … could you please add one board on your forum…. for a chronic patient or cancer survivors … not for medical advice but more on a spiritual side….. to share their stories or experienced as a care taker….. im myself a cancer survivor… alhamdulillah…

 
 
Najid Says:

Assalamu Alikum.
Hope allah will reward all of your efforts and maximum pople can get some lights about the ‘real way of life’.

We have a plan to start a web project with the same intetion, Insha Allah.
Regards
Najid.

 
 
Shahid Ahmed Ansari Says:

” Yuun toe hain duniyaa mein sukhanwar bahut achchhey
Haan hum ne bhi ye jaan liya, hai aapka andaaz-e-bayan kuuchh aur ” !!!

Allahumma A’inzr Islaama-wa’l Muslimeen

 
 
sister Says:

mashallah subhanallah beautiful may Allah swt bless you

 
 
Saleh Says:

Assalamu’alaikum:

I like your work in the youtube video title “Hajj - A Journey of the Heart” posted a year(?) ago. I’d like to get your permission to use that for our program video/slideshow in our masjid in welcoming back the hujjaj. And being a non-IT person, the next question would be “how to download it to a computer.. coz I cannot find any ‘download’ button in the youtube page.

MashaAllah.. a beautiful work.

Salam
smsaleh@yahoo.com
Houston, TX

 
 
zagha Says:

Assalaamu ‘alaykum,

Nice blog! I like your new cairo post. Are you going to visit family or to study?

I noticed your education background, and I’m on a similar track. I was interested in knowing what your thesis was on.

Take care!

ma’a assalaam

 
 
GoodnessSpread Says:

ma sha Allah, nice :)

sister join the Sisters Drive at http://halfdate.com

 

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